NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2103, 14 June 1894, Page 27

NOTES AND QUERIES.

W. R. S.— Mr Beverly writes :— The following calculations may be of some service to " W. R. S." and others. Under the same pressure the discharge from two nozzles is equal to that from one nozzle of their combined area, nearly. Thus, 25 a = 6-25, 1-5" = 2-25, sum of squares = 85 = 2 % 9 2 ; or a 2*9 nozzle is equivalent to two of 2*5 and I*s diameter. The area of a 29 nozzle is 6 6 square inches, and if 4 cubic feet of water be forced through it per second, the velocity of the jet will be 87ft per second, corresponding to 118 ft pressure, -^r- = 118. 64 i The weight of 4 cubic feet of water is 2501b, and the power required is 118 * 250 = 54-horse power, or, allowing for friction in the pumps and pipes, 60-horse power. Again, if 5 cubic feet be forced through per second, the velocity of the jet will be 109 ft per second, corresponding to 185 ft pressure. Five cubic feet of water = 3121b, and 185^ 03120 312 = 105-horse power, or, friction included, 115-horae power. The pumps may be 15in diameter and 20in stroke, so that 59 revolutions of the shaft per minute would deliver i cubic feet per second, and 74 revolutions sft per second. The pressure varies as the square of quantity of water discharged per second, and the power varies as the cube of the same, nearly. Hence, when the power and pressure required for a given discharge has been found they may be found for any other discharge through the same nozzle by proportion. Thus, 434 3 :5 3 = 5* : 105, as 1: 2, nearly ; and 424 2 : 525 2 ■=» 118 : 185, and so with other proportions. L. M. — The tune to sow Pinus insignis seeds depends entirely on the state of the ground. If the soil is in good condition, the sooner the seed is sown the better. A better way than sowing in a plot is to dow in boxes in fine prepared soil, covering with a sash or calico. As soon as the plants are of a sufficient size to handle plant them out in rows from 6in to Bin apart. When they begin to touch each other, either transplant them from 12in to 15in apart, or transplant every alternate plant. By this means the young plants can be taken care of at less cost and trouble for two or three years than if they were planted out permanently in the beginning. Needless to say, they must be kept free of weeds. Gooseberry. — The insects on the portions of goose- - berry branches forwarded are, we have no doubt, Lecanium hesperidum, but there is nothing remaining of the insects except the hard scale or case, both old and young being dead. There are also indications of a fungus, which is also dead. From the specimens sent it would be hard to say whether the insect or fungi were dead first, or the cause of death in either case. In New Zealand, especially in the North Island, this scale is very common, and is found on the ivy. holly, camellia, orange, laurel, myrtle, box, and many other plants both out of doors and in greenhouses. In the South Island we have known it on the laurel, holly, ivy, black and red currants, and several other plants. If all the bushes are like the specimen sent, our correspondent may be thankful, as both old and young are dead. Still, we should recommend that the bushes be given a thorough pruning and thinning out so as to reduce the labour of brushing to a minimum. Then take a hard, stiff brush, and give the branches all a good brush, so as to clean them of all the dead insects and fungi, taking care not to destroy the buds of the bushes. Now is the time, before the buds begin to swell. Constant Reader.— (l) See Sporting. (2) Yesthree or four, but one or two have been drowned or lost, and we fancy there is only one left. Banff.— (l) The name of the bird you send is Certhiparas Novjb Zealandia— the New Zealan d creeper. (2) Thomas Edward, the Banffshire naturalist, died on April 27, 1886. Subscriber. — (1) See reply to "Subscriber" in last week's issue. (2) In addition, avoid using Eickles, spices, spirits (except schnapps, if you nd taking it now and again agrees with you), and anything of a heating nature. (3) Yes, if very bad, but possibly you are needlessly alarming yourself. Ratandi.— See Sporting. Old Subscriber, Garston, asks how much Portland cement will it take to build a sheep dip, 16ft long, sft deep, 18in on the bottom, and 2ft 6in on top, the side walls and bottom to be Gin thick. Also how much sand it requires in the mixing of it.— —"Old Subscriber does not state the material he proposes to build in. If concrete it will take about 117 cubic feet of rubble and 15 to 16 bags of cement (if casks, one third this number, as three bags g6 to one cask), and about 20 to 24 cubic feet of clean, sharp sand. If cemented afterwards, four or five bags more of cement will be needed, with about twice that quantity of fine sand. If the stones are large and rough, more cement and sand than above stated will be required. W. R. S.— Mr Beverly replies :— (1) Yes. (2) Ninety horse power, or 95. (3) Fifteen inches diameter, 24in stroke, and 57" revolutions of shaft per minute. Sheep Dip. — Roughly speaking, because in the former case the vision is restricted, while in the latter it has free range. See parallax in any encyclopaedia. Winter.— Birds get into full song at the approach of the breeding season, commencing to warble soon after the finish of the moulting. It is, we think, somewhat early for the thrush to be in full song, but it can scarcely be regarded as phenomenal. Alpine, Nevis.— The words of the song " Mary of Argyle " are by Charles Jeffreys and the music by S. Nelson. QUiERE.— (I) A brewer is by "The Beer Duty Act 1880 " required to have a license if he brews beer for sale. (2) It is unlawful for anyone to sell beer who has no license. Young Miner.— (l) A Government head of water is equal to a discharge of a cubic foot, or about 6Jgal, per second. An opening 40in wide by 2in deep, with a free out-fall, will discharge about that quantity. (2) The right to lift 10 heads of water costs no more than the right to lift any smaller quantity— namely, 53 fee on registration of the license, and Is a year afterwards for its annual renewal. (3) One man can hold an area of 100 ft by 100 f t; four men can hold an area 141 ft by 282 ft, or four times as many square feet. No greater number than 10 men can, as holders of miners' rights, hold one claim. The area of such a claim is 100.000 square feet, or 10 times that of one man. Holders of miners' rights can, by applying to the warden, obtain grants of claims of one acre for each man. (4) Everything held under the mining acts is liable to forfeiture if unused by the owner, unless protected by the warden's order. (5) You do not state the thickness of the iron the pipe is required to be made of. J. D.— When a sDciety is wound up a past member is liable to contribute for the debts and liabilities of the society unless he has ceased to be a member for one year or upwards prior to the commencement of the winding up. Inquirer, -Heriot.— To properly tan a bullock hide with wattle bark absolutely expert knowledge is needod, for in the tedious process many niceties have to be observed which would escape the notice of the novice. The first step after carefully scraping off any fat adhering is to steep the hide iv lime water, to loosen the hair so effectually that it may be scraped off thoroughly. Ground wattle bark is used for making the tanning liquor, but you may pound up dry bark sufficiently for the purpose. Boiling water must be poured on the bark in a long flat vessel, and when the liquor is about tepid, the hide should be inserted in such a way that the liquid will have free access to every portion of the skin. There must be as little doubling up as can be helped, otherwise the creases will be imperfectly tanned. Overlook the hide once a fortnight during the first three months ; take it out and scrub it well. The same liquor will do over again if boiled and skimmed, and a little fresh added. By thus purifying it repeatedly a weaker decoction may be used from first to last, and the risk of burning the hide, which an overstrong liquor would do, wtfl be averted. The same caution must be observed

From the above it will be seen that the decrease in the visible supply was but very slight during the month, while the enormous volume afloat testifies to the universal desire in producing countries to get rid of wheat at any price. It will also be perceived that the visible supply of the Australasian colonies is not taken into account, and moreover Indian new wheats are now about to reach Europe . Farmer. — In the classes for agricultural produce, which included grain, seeds, and roots, only certificates of merit were offered as prizes at the Winter Show. The prescribed quantity to be shown was four bushels in the respective classes for white wheat, red wheat, long oats, short oats, barley, field peas, field beans, tares (large, black), tares (small, black), tares (golden), linseed, and rye corn. A sack of each was the required quantity of the following seeds :— Timothy, perennial ryegrass, Italian ryegrass, cocksfoot, crested dogstail, and three distinct varieties of mangel seeds. There was no stipulated quantity in the classes for seeds of hard fescue, meadow fescue, sheep's fescue, and tall fescue. It was requisite to show 2cwt each of the following clovers :— Cow grass, red clover, white clover, and alsike. The catalogue classification for the roots was Swede turnips in variety, hybrid turnips in variety, whitefleshed turnips in variety, mammoth long red mangels, orange globe mangels, golden tankard mangels, red carrrots, and white carrots. There was no specification of quantity in these classes. It was necessary to show in competition' a sack each in the classes for field potatoes — kidney and field potatoes (round). There wa3 also a class for field cabbage. In the competition for " best assortment of farm produce," the exhibit must consist of at least "one bag of wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, turnips, and mangels." Amateur. — An article which will appear in next week's Farm pages, and which we advise you to read carefully, ought to help you to a knowledge of what was the matter with your pigs ; but from the particulars you give in your second letter it is possible they may have suffered from a disease comnionly known in the Home country as garget of the maw, another term for confirmed indigestion. It is in young pigs the coagulation of milk on the stomach, and in older it is the overloading of the stomach with any kind of food. A dose or two of Epsom Baits timely given— ioz or loz, according to the size and age of the patient, will usually effect a cure, and would certainly prevent an attack. "Curd on the stomach is alike fatal to calves, lambs, and sucking pigs, and is occasioned generally by some change of food or quality of food given, or accessible to the dams. W. T.— Will look up the information for you next week.

in gauging the strength of the lime water. The time occupied in the process will be about a fortnight for steeping in the lime water, and 10 to 12 months for immersion in the decoction. Not more than half the time is allotted to the process by tanners, who, howewr, now use •' forcing stuffs " or chemicals. There is a rough process of tanning adopted by many who fear the risks of mistakes in the use of bark. After the removal of the hair by the linie-Bteep, the hide, while merely moist, is pegged out at full stretch, and about equal parts alum and salt are well rubbed into both sides. For the scrubbing in an unplaned piece of wood is generally used. The dressing must be repeated each time the hide becomes dry, and by this means a rough, but good, pliant leather may ba prepared. Subscriber, Southland. — As your query is dated the 3rd inst., we presume the average of prices you ask for is that for May. In that month the skins of " freezers " killed at the Burnside works sold at from 3s 6d, or a trifle under, up to 4s 7Jd. The latter price was obtained for the skins of one lot of 4000 sheep forwarded by a grazier— not a dealer. The skins of another lot of 2500 realised 4s 6d each. These were about the top prices for the month. A very few small lots of skins sold at the lower rate stated. So far in this month, in consequence of discouraging news from London, slightly lower rates nave prevailed It is alleged that because of the ready market and better demand for skins in Dunedin the average value realised for those from the Burnside works is higher than that at other similar factories. So also as regards fat ; this local company has been selling at 18s 3d per cwt., while only 16s was obtained at other places. Grower.— The Corn Trade News (April 17) has the following estimate of the world's visible supply of wheat on April 1, as compared with that on the first of the month preceding :—

March 1,

April 1, March 1, 1894. 1894. Bushels. Bushels.

North American wheatEast of Rockies West of Rockies Canada U.S.A. (flour as wheat) . . . Canada (Hour as wheat) ... 91,446,000 9,468,000 6,660,000 8,290,000 780,000 96,412,000 9,500,000 5,900,000 8,620,000 783,000 Total in North America 116,644,000 121,21^000 United Kingdom (wheat stock United Kingdom (flour as wheat) Paris and French ports . . . Belgium, Germany, and Holland Russian ports Afloat for United Kingdom direct Afloat for Continent direct Afloat for orders 11,000,000 7,700,000 17,200,000 4,800,000 19,700,000 13,200,000 7,200,000 19,800,000 5,900,000 24.800,000 10,900,000 8,300,000 20,300,000 P4900,000 9.100.0C0 6,100,000 15,100,000 101,200,000 Total European and afloat!